Peer Pressure - Essay Example

Extract of samplePeer Pressure

The negative results of peer pressure can be quantified in terms of truancy, delinquency, contact with law enforcement, and eventual incarceration. Indeed, there is an explosion of youth deviance, sexual activity, and violence that affects us all. The results of peer pressure may be overt, but the causes are often more subtle and elusive. Understanding peer pressure is a critical factor in understanding the teenage years and mediating the potential bad decisions that are made by teenagers as they surrender their judgement to a group's expectations and norms. Peer pressure is a destructive force that has proliferated in the face of impersonal social institutions, diminished life choices, and families that fail to offer their children the emotional support necessary to develop a well-rounded sense of self-esteem and personal identity.
The issue of peer pressure has gained increasing importance in recent years due to the proliferation of pop culture media, social networking, availability of drugs, and the easy access to guns in our society. This paper will use a review of the existing literature to determine the underlying vulnerabilities to peer pressure, and highlight the ways in which its social impact can be minimized. The representation of teenage socialization in the mass media often highlights the influence that peers have to corrupt teenage values, which "leads to deviant behaviors such as smoking, drinking, drug use, dangerous driving, violence, provocative dress, and sexual promiscuity" (Schwind, 2008, p. 1015). These social forces conspire to motivate teenagers to make decisions that they would otherwise reject if they based their behavior solely on family socialization, community values, and accepted social norms. However, it is the suspension of these beliefs in favor of a group's deviant values that results in poor decisions and behavioral problems. By the time a child reaches middle school, their friends are the biggest influence in their life, and peer acceptance or rejection is the number one predictor of their personal emotional safety (Hartnett, 2007, p. 37). By this age, the child has become aware of their status among their peers, uses gossip for information and retaliation, is concerned about rejection, and is willing to significantly modify their behavior to gain peer group acceptance (Deutsch, 2000, p. 333). When these forces result in a beneficial outcome, such as church attendance or volunteer work, it is called a positive influence. When the results are negative, it is labeled peer pressure and has the negative connotation of coercion. Though peer pressure affects all ages and has a wide range of outcomes, this paper will focus on the negative results from peer pressure during the teenage years.
Peer pressure in adolescents has a dual motivational aspect, as it has the positive goal of gaining group acceptance, and expresses the negative motivation of the rebellion against the established power structure. As teenagers struggle to create and express their identity, the symbols of group alliance become a part of their personal individuality. These outward symbols may be the overt fashions and accessories that they wear, the use of
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Summary

The process of socialization from childhood through adulthood is marked by a considerable phase of trial, experimentation, rejection, and acceptance as the path through adolescence becomes directed by peer pressure. Peer pressure is usually thought of as a force that groups apply to teenagers in an effort to persuade them to try something that they may be adverse to, that is socially taboo, or act in a deviant manner…

The boy said that he was teased by his class fellows in school who pointed fingers towards his chest and sidelined him as a girl. He was too sensitive to the mockery and was starting to get into social exclusion because of that. He told me he preferred to avoid too much interaction with his class fellows because if he did not, he would be teased even more.

Here, peers tries to modify one’s norms, behaviors, attitudes and conform to other’s standards. It is only human nature to adapt and get influenced by people from one’s group. People usually conform to the peer pressure to resolve external conflicts such as social rejection.

This behavior insures the dominance of whichever species of ants colonizes the area. If one examines a college campus, this same type of behavior exists, and not just with ants. Greek fraternities and sororities use similar tactics to gain members, control territory, and exert influence on the college community.

Likewise, peer pressure is also an issue in schools from time immemorial. Peer groups are very important to students - peer groups are the way that the students construct their social identity, and, once students try to break away and gain some independence from their parents, the peers become even more important to them.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between delinquency and adolescent substance abuse and the role that the interaction of peer pressure plays and which of these is most influential. The population sample will consist of 300 students from grades 9 to 12.

The recent rise in drug offences, unlawful activities like burglary, thefts, violence etc. among the youth can be contributed to a large extent to the peer pressure and contemporary cinema. Fashion and fast paced lifestyle are few other factors that are attractive for

Peer pressure demands that a person conforms to group norms and demonstrate his or her commitment and loyalty to other group members. This can be the pressure from their friends or those who are close whom they interact with in their daily life. In this process of peer

fers to high levels of energy and mental resilience during work, dedication is strong involvement in one’s work and the experience of enthusiasm and fulfillment.
Peer influence refers to the level of influence that a peer group, observers, as well as other individuals exert

2 pages (500 words)Essay

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